#i legitimately looked up the floor plan of the owl house for this

[millerflintstone]

So I have a fair amount of packing of my crap left along with some general house packing (the laundry area, linens, the rest of the kitchen) and odds and ends. Work has of course been busy so I haven't been able to do much during the day. Unfriendly is en route to NM, so I'm on my own for this piece. My plan is to take advantage of my night owl nature and do a lot of it Friday night into Saturday morning. I don't have to worry about waking up Unfriendly and can just let the hyper focus kick in.

Earlier this afternoon, I got a request from the buyers through our realtor asking if they could come by at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday to do some measurements. They were also wondering if we still had leftover floor and backsplash tile from when we did the kitchen. I'm guessing they're probably doing some type of color scheme matching for draperies or who knows what. But, wow I did get irrationally put out. My plan is to wake up whenever my body tells me to when I collapse on Friday.

Unfriendly sent me a voice note to calm me down. I don't know if I have pathological demand avoidance based on how it's described, but I really don't like getting thrown for a loop when I have a plan in place. I gave my realtor some alternative time blocks for the weekend and explained what was going on and that I'd be here while they measure. I also asked if he could find out what areas they were looking to measure so I could make sure they were reasonably accessible. No word back yet.

I also can't quite get to the tile because of the mountain of boxes in the way in the garage at the moment.

I wasn't quite sure how common this type of a request is since I'm certainly not well-versed in selling a house. I asked our realtor, and he said that it's not unusual but also that I'm not obligated to comply with the request.

Houzz and reddit forums had a variety of situations from the buyers pulling some last minute shenanigans at closing because of things they found while "measuring". But I think in these cases the house inspection had been waived by the buyers. Some people just used it as an excuse to see the house again and show it off to family members. Other people said that they had made similar requests when they were buying a house but that they legitimately needed to make measurements for furniture or replacing flooring. A lot of these people had pretty long closing periods and wanted to order stuff ahead of time, so who knows.

I'm peopling deficient!

[jabbers-wild-world]

@owliiish | In the Dark of the Night

One week. It had only been one week since Hunter had officially relented to Luz’s repeated invitations, and had finally started living at the Owl House. Only one week, and since moving in, he’d been nothing but an anxious ball of nerves, flinching at every sudden movement and alert to every sound. He’d been difficult to get close to, downright avoidant of anyone who tried to approach him, and especially elusive regarding any physical contact. Surprise hugs from Luz or King, or any contact with Hooty resulted in Hunter disappearing for hours to who knows where, only to reappear for mealtimes where he ate only a little before he left to occupy his time with either training or running perimeter checks despite being told it wasn’t necessary.

And now.. It was late, near midnight or even later, and Hunter was in his chosen sleeping spot, hidden on a ledge above the couch. It had taken hours for him to finally fall asleep, his mind flooded with far too many thoughts and worries.. But finally he’d managed to drift off. It was quiet, a peaceful night with no more than the wind rustling through the trees outside to break the silence. At least, that’s how it seemed… It was entirely different in Hunter’s dreams… What had started as a peaceful dream of.. well, of actually having friends, and the whole.. flyers derby thing.. had rapidly turned dark.

His friends dragged from him, Flapjack gone, and then.. Belos. Furious, dangerous, and ready to kill. Flashes, wild flashes of pain, blood everywhere, and it was all his own, or- …was it really? He turned, around and around, and there were golden masks everywhere, each and every one splattered with blood, each one broken and warped, until- Just one.. Just one was still untouched, and polished so clean he could see his reflection, and- Belos, a hand clutching Hunter’s shoulder, as the mask began crying blood as he could only stare in horror. Then as he turned to Belos-

He was awake again in a flash, nearly falling off the ledge in a panic. He could hardly breathe and his hands were shaking. Woken by his companion’s distress, Flapjack was quickly at Hunter’s side, chirping his offered comfort, but still Hunter couldn’t stop shaking. He jumped down from his ledge, stumbling only a moment and at first, he made for the door with the instinct to run away screaming at him, but- …He stopped, his rational mind slowly gaining ground against his panic.. and he turned his gaze to the stairs. Hesitation, a glance back to the door.. But he made his way to the stairs, as quietly as he could. His ears flicked back, he was still shaking as he carefully crept into the Owl Lady’s room, tiptoeing to her nest.

He stopped short, hesitating and debating whether or not to do what he was about to. But thoughts of his nightmare came flooding back and he quickly climbed into Eda’s nest, finding a small spot to curl up where he wouldn’t disturb her sleep, he was still trembling, still terrified by his nightmare, and he didn’t want to be alone. He stared for a moment or two at Eda before he made himself comfortable, tears dripping down his face, as he tried again to fall asleep, while still terrified to do so.

[siswritesyanderes]

Could please write some headcanons about platonic yandere Harry for his twin brother? Sorry if I'm bothering you....

(You’re never bothering me by sending asks/requests! I’m sorry this ended up shorter than I meant for it to be; I had all my ideas fairly ironed out, but I kept getting daunted by my own plan for how long I wanted to make it, so over and over again I just stopped working on it, and then I thought, How about post what you have and then continue it if someone asks you to? So that’s what I’m doing.)

...

They looked nearly identical. It was just that Liam’s scar was across his ear instead of on his forehead, and he didn’t have the defiant edge that made Harry’s eyes and jaw look harder. Liam genuinely wanted the Dursley’s to think that he was good, and it broke Harry’s heart, because he knew that it would never happen.

It sharpened him all the more, to see his brother legitimately trying to earn their approval and only getting hurt for his troubles.

Liam hadn’t gained the same quick reflexes that Harry had; with minimal clues, Harry knew when Dudley would suddenly come barreling down the hallway, and he knew how to jump aside. Liam was too unobservant, and too clumsy; Dudley would shove him into the wall if Harry didn’t pull him out of the way in time, and still he would say, “Good morning, Dudley,” or “That looks fun, Dudley.”

Harry knew, somehow, that it was his own fault when Liam, one day, appeared to suddenly and only for a moment become impossibly dense, causing Dudley to topple to the floor when he tried to shove him, but it was still Liam who had been punished for it when Dudley went and burst into tears.

And then there was the hair. Aunt Petunia had been willing to chop off all of Harry’s hair on account of it being “unruly” (leaving only the fringe, to cover his scar; that style had looked so stupid that it had magically grown back overnight, but that was another story); she couldn’t do the same with Liam, because his scar was so inconveniently placed that his hair had to stay long in order to cover it. This led to several agonizing mornings of Aunt Petunia combing at Liam’s hair so hard that he cried, and yet he was still the one who apologized to her, for having such hair to begin with.

And once again, Liam was the one who got punished when Aunt Petunia’s comb suddenly seemed impossible to grab ahold of, and again Harry knew somehow that he was really the one to blame.

All of these incidents, too many to count and more than they even remembered, solidified Harry’s conviction that his brother needed his protection.

So on the day when the two of them suddenly got letters after having never received mail of their own once in their lives, Harry hid them in his trousers until nightfall, then pulled them out in the cupboard they shared. It was nearly impossible to read in such dim light, but through their combined efforts, they discovered that the pair of letters were in fact very similar in content. They told of a school. A school of magic.

And Harry saw it for the escape it was.

The next day, he pulled out a phone book and searched for the name Minerva McGonagall, as it had been signed on the bottom of both letters, but he couldn’t find any such person.

(Disheartening. A bit of doubt curled inside him, that maybe Hogwarts had been someone’s idea of a joke. But he would rescue his brother from this house; it was decided now, whether Hogwarts was real or not.)

The day after, he absconded from the Dursleys’ house with Liam (never releasing his brother’s hand, as they traversed the city; people were dangerous, and Liam was naive; he was only safe with Harry) and searched for the place called “The Leaky Cauldron”.

This, they did find. It was an odd, cozy-looking place, and it exploded inexplicably into excited chatter and jubilant shouts when people noticed Harry and Liam there.

“You can’t be the Potter boys,” one man gasped, in an awed tone as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.

Harry tightened his grip on his brother, who looked overwhelmed by all the attention, and scowled to communicate to the gathering crowd that he could be dangerous even if he was only ten. “Why can’t we?” he asked flippantly. “And why do you know us?”

It was then and there that the boys were informed of their legendary past: of Lord Voldemort and how they had thwarted him and how the world of witches and wizards viewed them as heroes.

This time, when Harry inquired as to where he might find a Minerva McGonagall, he was successful. The pair of them turned up at the deputy headmistress’s home and, when she welcomed them in with a furrowed brow and a tray of biscuits, he laid bare the details of the Dursleys’ cruelty and neglect. He could handle their treatment for himself, but Liam needed to be kept out of their reach.

And he was.

Pale-faced and horrified, McGonagall exchanged a surprisingly swift series of owls (They sent letters using owls, of all things.) with Headmaster Dumbledore that ended with the twins recounting the details of their mistreatment once more, this time to Ministry officials (the Ministry of Magic, an idea which dazzled Liam) and then being placed under the temporary guardianship of McGonagall, until someone could get in contact with the Dursleys. (Apparently, there was something about a protective spell tied to Aunt Petunia’s blood, and Dumbledore was convinced it could be salvaged without allowing the family to continue abusing the boys; Harry doubted it.)

That night, he and Liam were offered separate guest bedrooms in McGonagall’s home, but Harry refused to sleep apart, even if Liam was intrigued by the idea of having his own bed, in a room all to himself. Liam was too trusting, too vulnerable.

One day, Harry would make sure he had a bed to himself. When it was safe. For now, though, they had to stay together.

Liam kept trying to run off, though!

When McGonagall took them to get their school supplies, Liam kept wandering when Harry’s attention was elsewhere. He never went far; always just one aisle away, or staring through the window one shop over while Harry was looking at the broom shop. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for something bad to happen, and Harry could only pay attention to so many things, in this bustling place. He couldn’t very well make Liam keep holding his hand if his brother was determined to squirm and stray. All he could do was implore him to keep still.

Overhearing Harry’s protestations, McGonagall interjected, “Pardon me, Mr. Potter, but I think you’ll find that the pair of you are safer, here, than you may think.”

“Why? Because you’re here?” Harry asked, not bothering to hide his skepticism. McGonagall had helped them so far, but he wouldn’t stake their wellbeing on her.

“There is that,” McGonagall allowed primly. “But I wouldn’t understate the fact that the two of you draw far too much attention for anyone to feasibly harm you, at least without being noticed.”

This was a welcome introduction to something Harry had failed to consider; in the Muggle world, they were invisible, but here, yes, there had to be some safety in being so seen.

But there was danger in it, too. All of this attention, it was asking for trouble. That was for him to manage; the safety and the danger of fame.

[sepublic]

Happy Birthday to The Owl House!

           Honestly, I’m… REALLY shocked to think back on how it’s been a year? It’s been a full, actual year, since that first episode?

           I remember when The Owl House was first announced around early 2018. Something about it, the premise, the characters from that one poster we got; It really drew me in, and I kept track of the show’s progress in eager anticipation. Whenever Dana released art of Luz, Eda, and King, I was ecstatic- And when the show was delayed to 2020, I was dismayed.

           Then we got our teaser trailer; The opening them, the end credits, even a little sneak peek! I remember speculating a lot about Luz and all of the other new characters we were introduced to, such as Willow, Amity, and Gus- And then we got more and more trailers in the days leading up to the show. I wondered about Luz’s home back on Earth and where her family was, I listened intently to the Hooty and the Parliament music video, finding an almost melancholic, weirdly nostalgic (despite having never watched the show yet) vibe to it- Whilst also avoiding looking at the screen and seeing all of the various clips it offered, because I wanted to be surprised! It was two years of anticipation, two years of wait for this show- I’d never looked forward to a series before like this, last I can recall… So having this content FINALLY come out, seeing these characters in animation, hearing their wonderful voices! My soul was vibing, it was time, it was coming after all this time…!

          Eventually I finished Infinity Train Book 2, the same day that The Owl House premiered… I was blindsided when I woke up to the first episode’s release online, in full- I was already planning to wait until later to watch it on television, so having it permanently accessible from the internet was such a pleasant surprise! And the show… The show, man- That premiere caught me off-guard with how much I enjoyed it! I knew I was looking forward to this show, but still…! It blew away my expectations, and even now, has continued to; It was like my personal investment and attention had paid off so patiently well! I even got a DisneyNOW subscription so I could watch each new episode ASAP, the day it premiered, hours before it aired on television!

           I remember scouring Tumblr before the show officially premiered, and there was understandably very little- A few pieces of fanart here or there. And when the show DID premiere, for a while there wasn’t really much of a fandom- There was barely anyone, in fact! But I can remember a few notable blogs who have been around since the beginning… Me, I got invested into this show. I found myself really enjoying Lumity as a ship, especially since I resonated with both characters in it; Luz was such a ball of sunshine that brightened my day, and Amity really spoke to me with her more introverted, top-scoring personality. When the show hit its mid-season hiatus, I remember not handling it too well, as I got impatient and frantic in my speculations- I wanted so badly to learn more about these characters, see what happened- Get a look at Emperor Belos (then known as Bellows by the fandom), etc.

          I wrote my Bile Coven piece in preparation for Halloween, even got to know a mutual or two over shared theorizing! I kept track of Dana’s updates, and even had people come to my blog, of all places, to send asks! It was and still has been such an engaging part of fandom for me… I recall impatiently waiting for the Owl Pellet shorts and freaking out over them- And when Adventures in the Elements leaked early? I LOST MY MIND, I remember postponing something I was supposed to go to, just so I could watch the episode- And it was so good! Then I started wondering and hoping the rest of Season 1 would come out, and well- It took a while…

          And when Season 1B’s trailer came out, I was all over it; Scouring every possible frame, freaking out over the Grom screenshot, and appreciating the influx of new fans! It was amazing to watch The Owl House go from a relatively minor and obscure fandom, to becoming so much more mainstream and populous! I got into Rebecca Rose’s channel, I began writing more meta and posts about the show, as well as little recaps for each new episode. I feel like my blog really took off from here, as I got to interact with more and more people who shared this mutual love of The Owl House, and I was so ecstatic to see more content and buzz about it!

           My mind was solely focused on The Owl House, it was one of my huge hyperfixations, even moreso than during Season 1A’s run- I remember being anxious about Enchanting Grom Fright, wondering if we’d get queerbaited… But NO, Amity was in love with Luz! She canonically had a crush on her, a girl in love with another girl- And I loved it because Lumity was a special comfort ship of mine! Then Amity was confirmed lesbian… It was amazing! And I found myself SO invested, so inspired by the show and its characters, and all of the little allusions to things, the foreshadowing, the moments here or there that made so much more sense after a new episode.

           This show inspired me creatively- It got me to write some of my personal favorite fanfics, and I was and still am so touched by whatever feedback I get from them! The Owl House really got me to write, to obsess over characters and analyze them, to look at motifs, to think about worldbuilding… It’s been such an artistically enriching experience, both the show and the fandom! I remember despairing so terribly when Agony of a Witch came out, the genuine betrayal I had when Lilith revealed the truth- Because I’d been legitimately endeared to her character beforehand, even formed a sort of ‘trust’ in a sense… And like many others, I agonizingly anticipated the season finale, the much-needed emotional reconciliation!

           I remember how the episode titles were revealed, bit by bit, and how I and others speculated on what they’d spell out! I remember when the fandom obsessed over the Witch’s Apprentice game and its relics, for clues and new lore after each episode, the little hints here or there! I was freaked out by characters like Belos, who lived up to my hopes and expectations- First being alluded to by name, then his amazing appearance… And then his voice and mannerisms and everything about him! And when the Season Finale came out…

           Well, there was relief. But there was a bittersweet emptiness- That it was over! The first season was over! There was a celebratory triumph, of course- We finally wrapped up the first, major arc of the show, the first batch of episodes that had been worked upon, the whole thing now unveiled and appreciated! But I was a little dismayed because a part of me KNEW a hiatus much longer than the previous one was ahead of me, and I did not handle the mid-season hiatus well. Of course, then Dana had her Reddit AMA, and the charity livestream; Both of which NOURISHED me creatively, and have helped to fill out the wait! To carry out my momentum, to not flounder about in hiatus; I invested myself into more meta, into various posts, etc. I read fanfiction that genuinely floored me, obsessed over fanart, etc.

           I supported the show’s release on Disney Plus, ecstatic to get this kind of ready access. I revisited past episodes and characters, looking at them in a new light, appreciating things; Like Luz’s relationship with fantasy… King’s surprising development, all of Eda’s little hints and clues. There’s been an emotional catharsis with these characters for me- And I genuinely feel like I’ve been a lot happier lately because of this show! I’ve met so many other blogs and gotten to know them, seen their ideas and displayed mine as we appreciated one another… I even remember doing another blog’s fanart prompt prior to the show’s release, in preparation!

           I feel like The Owl House has genuinely given me a new appreciation for meta, for fandom and analysis… For headcanons, for writing my own stories and contributing my own ideas and speculations, etc.! It’s contributed SO much joy to me as a hyperfixation, and rapidly risen through my blog as my most frequent tag! And even as I explore other fandoms and hyperfixations, both then and now, especially to pass on this crippling hiatus… This show holds a VERY special place in my heart for me. It’s really made me feel for these characters, the love and sadness, the excitement and sense of comfort… Its love and emotions, angst and found family, lore and speculation, it hits so hard to me in a way that other media hasn’t!

           It’s provided representation- Such as canonically queer characters, or protagonists who speak so well to the neurodivergent experience for many people! I’ve had delight in seeing people suggest Amity as autistic, when before Season 1B, I lowkey headcanoned and saw her as such- So seeing more evidence for this resonated deeply in my heart! I remember all of the discussion about King as a character, the confusion and talk about whether or not he WAS a King of Demons, when that first announcement in 2018 had made a similar claim… I looked forward to Eda and Lilith’s relationship, speculated on who cursed Eda, and remembered when I’d considered the Blights as a potential culprit! I remember thinking about Hooty, wondering what his deal is- And thinking then and now about that Owl Deity mural in the Owl House! Watching Luz’s development as a character and as a witch, seeing her become more proficient with magic until it finally pays off with her squaring up against Belos, and wounding him- I’d never felt so proud of a character and their progress before!

           There’s still so many more questions and mystery, lore… as well as just genuine character interactions, to look forward to! I think The Owl House is one of my favorite shows of all time… It’s deeply touched me as a person and creator, and I genuinely strive to create something even close to this one day. This show has inspired me, made me laugh and cry, compelled me to creatively make content; It’s introduced me to a wider fandom that I genuinely feel like a part of, had me meet other mutuals… It really is something special to me. And while I am eager for Season 2, I also want to appreciate what Dana Terrace and her crew have already established. I love this show’s art style and animation, the designs and overall weirdness of its characters- I love speculating and thinking about them, getting more and more details, and so forth.

           If it’s for a better product, I’m fine waiting for Season 2. And honestly, I love what we already have, and I’ve done a lot with so many people. I’ve even looked over supplementary materials and stuff posted by the crew or news articles, in my need for content… And I love every bit of update, art, and/or acknowledgement of the show’s hiatus, and Season 2’s development! There’s so much to look forward to… And there’s so much that I’ve enjoyed, after plenty of anticipation!

           Thank you @danaterrace, and everyone who worked on this- For everything. It really is crazy to reflect on this entire year, to realize it’s been a full year since that first episode, since that first premiere that lit up my world like Luz’s light spells; And it feels like such a milestone that we’ve reached! I look forward to what comes next, and I also intend to keep appreciating and cherishing what we’ve already gotten. Here’s to this show’s second year, people- It’s been such a journey to look back on and remember each step, each phase, each particular moment and stage… And I can only imagine what will come next! This show has SUCH a special place in my heart, and has made me feel in so many ways I haven’t before!

           Happy Birthday, The Owl House! You’ve earned it!

[gavillain]

Soriku

1. Who kissed the other first? That’s probably a Riku move tbh. Sora’s kind of oblivious and spends so much time talking and getting distracted that I think it’s gotta be Riku’s job to kiss him lol

2. What was their first fight about? As a couple I think it was probably about Riku still feeling insecure around all of Sora’s shitton of friends and being a little petty about it. But they worked it out I think and got to a more comfortable place with Mr. I Make Friends Everywhere I Go and Mr. How Do I Social Life finding a happy medium where they both could feel comfortable.

3. Who sleeps in the couch more often? Sora. I feel like he can sleep anywhere.

4. Who drinks coffee and who drinks tea? Sora likes tea and tea parties, and Riku indulges him because he secretly loves it too.

5. Who goes grocery shopping more often? They go shopping together. By which I mean Riku sticks to the grocery list and Sora buys a bunch of shit they absolutely do not need because the box looks cool.

6. Who brings breakfast in bed? That’s probably a Sora move tbh

7. Who sleeps first? Again, Sora can sleep anywhere whereas I think Riku’s a real night owl and tosses and turns a lot more.

8. Who watches the other sleeping? They don’t really do that.

9. Who met the parents in law first? They grew up together and both know each other’s parents quite well long before they started dating.

10. Who does the laundry? Riku.

11. Who washes the dishes? Sora.

12. Who cleans up the house? Both. Sora likes to make a game out of it because Mary Poppins taught him how to do that with a spoonful of sugar. Riku just whistles while he works like Snow White said.

13. Who washes the car gummi ship? Probably both together which inevitably evolves into a water spell and soap battle XD

14. Who brings take out? Whoever is out and about.

15. Who calls the other to ask if they want something from the street? Riku tends to be more thoughtful about that, so him.

16. Who’s more likely to make plans? Riku. Sora likes to wing it.

17. Who dreams about a big wedding? Neither one. I think they both want something more intimate and private.

18. Who breaks the cups? SORA DAMMIT XD

19. Who holds the umbrella? Riku. He’s always the prepared one of the two lol

20. Who takes the other to the dance floor? Sora drags Riku out to dance with him.

21. Who does the big romantic gestures? They both do this for each other. Sora’s the one who does the BIG gestures more often whilst Riku’s the one who’ll do something really thoughtful and nice

22. Who’s more likely to serenade? Sora. Please don’t let Riku sing. The boy can’t hold a tune.

23. Who forgets the wet towel in bed? Neither.

24. Who doesn’t pick up things when they fall? Neither. They’re good boys lol

25. Who keeps losing the keys? If either one of them loses their Keyblade, it’d be BAD XD I don’t think they actually can anyway lol

26. Who sings the rap part? Sora. Sora handles all the singing.

27. Who pretends to be sad just so the other will cheer they up? Neither. If one of them is down, it’s always legitimate.

28. Who wakes up ready for a marathon? SORA. 100% Sora.

29. Who buys them tickets for shows? Riku more often, but both will.

30. Who chooses the movie? They alternate. 

31. Who says ‘I love you’ more often? Sora by a very slim margin

32. Who keeps waving at people after they got engaged? Sora, of course

33. Who uses the most ridiculous nicknames for the other? They don’t do this

34. Who’s responsible for date nights? They alternate. They both have so many nice ideas.

35. Who wakes up one day and decides to stay in bed? Sora again.

[iwritefanfictionnottragedies]

The One (George Weasley x Reader Oneshot)

George is surprised to see an old friend at Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, but if he’s being honest, he never expected that he’d see her again. George Weasley x Reader, and some Neville Longbottom x Reader!

Warnings: Angst, post-war, grief, mention of alcohol. Loosely inspired by The 1 by Taylor Swift. This is my first time posting my writing on tumblr, please feel free to give me advice as I have no idea what I’m doing, truly. :) The story begins under the cut!

"Alright, love." Neville said, "I'm to stop by Gringotts before we head home. Why don't you take the boys for ice cream while I'm there?" You looked down at your sons, who's eyes were now wide with excitement. "ICE CREAM! ICE CREAM! ICE CREAM!" they shouted. You shot a sideways glare at Neville and groaned a sarcastic "Thanks for that idea, dear..." He laughed before leaning in and giving you a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll try to be quick, I promise!" he said, "Best of luck, dearest." He walked towards Gringotts and you turned to begin your journey to the ice cream shop, your two sons following closely behind you like little ducklings.

Of course, you knew that you'd have to walk past the joke shop on your way to get ice cream, and your stomach was in knots. You laughed at yourself for being nervous about walking past a building. You weren't even going inside. Even then, it was just George. Sure, you hadn't spoken in almost 9 years, but seeing an old friend surely wouldn't be a bad way to end the day.

But, I suppose that was the problem. He was certainly more than an old friend, and if you were being honest your stomach was in knots because it's immensely difficult to fall out of love.Of course, that's not to say that you weren't in love with Neville. He was incredibly kind and loving, and he was a wonderful father to Alex and Ben. You put each other back together after the war. He made you feel whole. You could not wait to marry him. Neville was your last love.

Yet there are many different kinds of love, you see, and some loves never end. So here, stopped in front of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, your heart was beating out of your chest because you knew that your first love was likely right behind that door.

You felt Alex tug on your sleeve, which snapped you out of your little daydream. "Yes, little guy?" you smiled down at him. He pointed towards the red door only feet away, "Mummy, Ben went inside the joke store. Are we still getting ice cream?" Your heart sank. You couldn't run from George any longer.

Entering the shop, your eyes darted around excitedly. Despite being overwhelmed by a million emotions, you still could not resist feeling like a "kid in a candy store". You wanted nothing more than to grab a basket and fill it to the brim with fun gadgets, but Ben was still missing.

You wander the store a bit, and eventually find your son sitting on the floor with his legs crossed. Also sitting on the floor was George, excitedly chatting with Ben about Peruvian Darkness Powder. "Can you show me, Mr. Weasley?" You smile, and approach them from behind. You gently interrupt, "Pardon me Mr. Weasley, I believe you have something of mine." Still facing your son, he says "Do I?" You laugh and say "Yes, one of my children."

George chuckles as he stands up, dusting off his suit. When he turns to face you his eyes grow wide. He says your name in a whisper. "Georgie." You reply with a smile. You want to run into his arms, but you extend your hand instead. He shakes your hand firmly, his touch lingering a bit longer than friendly handshakes do. In his eyes, never leaving yours, you can't be sure if you see joy or sadness. Perhaps, you think, its nostalgia.

"Ben, go take a look around." You say as you hand your son 5 Galleons. He smiles brightly at you and then darts down the aisle, shouting "Thanks mum!" as he goes. "Alex, stay with your brother and don't let him buy something that will damage anything, house nor human." Your younger son nods and follows after his brother. "Where's the fun in that?" George snickers. You playfully nudge him with your elbow, laughing with him. He smiles, yet he watches you intently, as if he's concerned that you'll disappear if he takes his eyes off of you."

I see the shop is doing well." You say, looking around at the walls of jokes and candies. He nods, "I'm quite proud of it, honestly. Mum refers to it as "her grandbaby" seeing as it's the only thing I talk about." You let out a laugh, and he grins at you. A short silence fell between the two of you, so you look over at your sons. They were running from a Time To Go (a shouting alarm clock on wheels) which they'd set loose on the floor of the shop, their contagious giggles filling the air. You smile, your heart feeling warm as you watch your little boys play. However, you feel George's eyes on you."

You're a mum." George said. You nodded simply and smiles flashed across both of your faces. "Alex is five years old," you said, "and Ben is eight." You looked into George's eyes and it was obvious that his mind was processing, though he remained completely still as he gazed at you. "They look like very fun little ones." He noted. He took a few steps towards a bench and motioned towards it, offering you a seat. You sat down, still facing the boys, and he joined you. The conversation was pleasant, but you had a million burning questions that you knew you shouldn't ask. As it turns out, he was facing the same dilemma.

The tension was palpable, and just as you were about to speak George spat out "How is their father?" You smiled and quietly said, "He's really well. We're really well. It's Neville, actually. I'm not quite sure whether or not word got around about us." You looked down, uncomfortably shifting around on the bench. "Yeh, I'd heard rumors about you two." George said, "I didn't believe them though." You looked at him and tilted your head curiously before asking "Why wouldn't you?" George let out a humorless laugh as he ran a hand through his ginger hair. "I just found it hard to believe," he sighed. It was obvious that there was more that he wanted to say."

George, please." You said, your eyebrows knit together in frustration. "Tell my why you found it so hard to believe." He shifted to face you, taking your hand in his. Your heart was pounding, but you locked eyes with him. "Do you remember the last time that we saw one another?" he asked. The memories flooded your mind, but you were unsurprised, as they frequently came to you in waves over the years. This time though, your hand was in his, and a tear rolled down your cheek as you nodded at him. "Why then," he said, "would I find it easy to believe that you would run away with Neville and not speak to me for nine years?"

You swallowed nervously. You couldn't be sure if the nerves were due to having to confront your past, or if they were due to his hand still wrapped around yours, his thumb gently rubbing circles on yours and making you feel like a teenager. Either way, he was waiting on you to speak. You looked down at your feet again. "Everyone copes with their trauma differently, George." you said, "After the Battle of Hogwarts some people cried, some people screamed, some people threw things, some people shut down emotionally completely. After seeing Tonks' body in the Great Hall, I started screaming. I didn't think I'd ever be able to stop. When I finally did stop, I just... collapsed."

You wiped away the tears that had creeped their way down your cheeks. George was no longer looking at you, his gaze was on the ground as well. "Neville saw me hit the floor." You said, "He picked me up, sat against the wall, and let me sleep there with my head in his lap. When I woke up, he asked me if I had anywhere to go. I hardly knew the man, honestly, so I was surprised that he asked. He offered to let me stay with him and his Nan, but I told him that I'd stay at a hotel for a few days. I asked him if he would stay there with me... and we haven't spent a single night apart since. I wanted to send you an owl, but I didn't know what I was supposed to say. Not after leaving things with you the way that I did. Then, only 5 weeks after the battle, I found out that I was pregnant. Neville and I were strangers, then lovers, then parents. That's when I knew that my life would be very clearly divided in two: my life before the war, and my life after the war. I had to try to leave you in the before because I didn't want to complicate the after  that seemed to be falling into place. I'm so sorry, George."

George sighed heavily, which led into a long silence. There was only the sound of your sons playing idly across the shop. Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder next to him, he was so close to you but he'd never felt so far away. You were waiting for him to say something, anything really. Finally, he turned his head, looking into your eyes intently, and said "I'm sorry too. The memories of that night have played over and over again in my mind for the last nine years, and I always wondered how you could have possibly chosen to leave the whole thing open-ended. It was selfish of me not to consider that you had legitimate reasons." You looped your arm through his and leaned your head on his shoulder, which took him by surprise. "It was quite a night, wasn't it Georgie?" you said with a sigh. Silently, the two of you remembered the night before everything changed.

Nine Years Ago-----The sunset had long ago faded into inky blue darkness, and as you and George walked the empty cobblestone streets of a nameless muggle city, you were thankful for a moment of calm before the impending storm. You walked arm in arm, passing a flask of firewhiskey back and forth. George took a sip, and as he handed it back to you he asked, "So, my dearest, what do you plan to do after this is all over?" You smiled and took a sip, thinking before telling him "This, I suppose!" He laughed and asked you, "What do you mean this?" You stopped walking, handing the flask back to him. "I mean bothering you." you smiled, "Going anywhere you go. Having my nose in your business. Making each other better people. Best friend shit." He nodded his head. "Best friend shit." he repeats, smirking at you. You were a sucker for that smirk, just as you had been since you were children. 

He took a final sip of firewhiskey and tucked the flask into his pocket. "Do you believe in magic?" he asked. You laughed loudly and said, "Well love I'd say I do. I would hope you do too. If you don't, I've got some wild news for you about that stick you've been carrying around since you were twelve." He pushed you away playfully, ruffling your hair. "Not that kind of magic, you doorknob." he says, "What I mean to say is, we should go make a wish." He raised his arm and pointed in the direction of the a beautiful fountain just a short walk away. "Race you there, babes." you said, and with a wink you were already running.

George arrived at the fountain a few seconds before you did, so you punched him in the arm. "You only won because your legs are practically longer than my entire body." George smiled brightly, but his smile dropped when his eyes met yours. "Okay, so it's obvious that we believe in magic." he said, "What about soulmates?" You carefully considered your answer. "I don't believe in soulmates," you said, "but I do believe in the one." George looked at you quizzically, your answer not being the one that he expected. "What does that mean?" he asked. You smiled and said, "I believe that every person that you fall in love with is your soulmate. It's meant to happen, and it's significant in it's own way. Then, one day you fall in love with a person that... they're the last person you'll ever love, you know? That's what makes them the one."

George nodded and with a subtly shaky voice he said, "That's fair." He looked down quickly and grabbed your hand, pressing a single knut into your palm. You smiled up at him and said, "So, we just throw it in and make a wish, right? I'm gonna wish fo-" You were cut off by George's urgent "SHHH SHHH SHHH!" You laughed, but he didn't laugh along with you. Instead he said, "Face away from the fountain, close your eyes, make your wish silently, and then toss the knut over your shoulder and into the fountain." You nodded in understanding. "Really," he said, "the wish has to stay secret, or else it won't come true." You laughed at his seriousness, "I promise, I won't tell you what I'm wishing for."

You leaned the back of your knees against the fountain, and closed your eyes tightly. You thought hard about your wish, repeating the words over and over again in your head. You tossed the coin over your shoulder. When you opened your eyes, George was standing in front of you. As he locked eyes with you, it was clear that he had more to talk about than tossing knuts in fountains. He leaned in close to you, pushing your hair back as he whispered in your ear, "I don't think this is 'best friend shit'. I don't think it has been for a long time, love." His lips tickled your ear and you felt a shiver go down your spine. He was right, of course. You'd been in love with him for longer than you could remember. You did not, however, have any idea that felt the same way about you.

Perhaps it was the firewhiskey, or perhaps it was the feeling of his breath on your skin, but you felt bold. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled his body closer to yours. He wrapped his arms around your waist and his eyes locked with yours. This moment was the culmination of 12 years of friendship, misadventures, pranks, fights, stolen glances, and hidden desires; your skin tingled everywhere that it touched his. He leaned in, and his lips gently brushed yours. It wasn't enough for you, as you pulled him even closer and deepened the kiss. He pulled away, and you both paused for a moment, staring at one another at very close range. Your hearts were beating so loud that any passerby would've sworn they heard distant drums. "I'll see you in a few days, love." he whispered. With a loud crack, he apparated away.

The next evening began the Battle of Hogwarts, and he would not see you for nine long years.

Present Day ------- Your head was still resting on his shoulder, both of your silently recalling your last moment together before the world fell apart. "We were something, don't you think so?" you asked. George laughed. "Something indeed." he said, "I'm truly embarrassed that it look me that long to kiss you." You blushed at the comment and replied sarcastically, "You're embarrassed?? I was so embarrassed that I avoided you for nine years." He smirked again, that smirk that made you feel like your heart was going to fall out of your feet.

The door to the shop opened, snapping you out of your nostalgic little trance. You heard Alex shout, "Dad! Dad, can I please buy this one?" You saw Neville walk in, and the joy on his face as he approached your sons made you melt. "One second little man," he said as he walked past the boys, "Hey love, Nan just called me and says that dinner is ready earlier than expected. She also wants to talk to us about flowers for the wedding, although I tried to remind her that plants are kind of my thing." He laughed as you stood up to greet him with a kiss. When you separated, he noticed who you were sitting with. His eyes widened and he said, "George! I'm so happy to see you. I would love to catch up with you sometime. I'm a little jealous that the missus beat me to it!"  George smiled weakly and said, "That would be lovely, mate."

"Well my sweet," you said, "We shouldn't keep Nan waiting. Go ahead and take the kids and I'll meet you there, I'm going to say goodbye to Mr. Weasley, here." Neville replied, "Of course! Everyone say goodbye to Mr. Weasley!" Ben and Alex followed him out of the store as they waved and shouted "Goodbye!" to George.

Once they left, the shop was silent. George broke the silence and said to you, "I think that I figured it out." You raised an eyebrow. He nodded and said, "We were soulmates." You nodded in agreement. "Have a good evening George." you said, "I'm glad we could catch up." He smirked that god awful smirk and said, "I'm glad we could too." Hesitantly, you approached him for a hug goodbye. Without hesitation he wrapped his arms around you tightly, whispering "Farewell." before releasing you.

You made your way to the door, and as you put your hand on the doorknob you heard George across the room say, "Hey! What did you wish for?" You turned to look at him and he repeated, "What did you wish for? That night, at the fountain." You smiled at him and replied, "You're right, of course, that we were soulmates. But that night at the fountain, I wished that you would be the one."

With that, she turned and walked out of the door to go and be with the one, her last love, her forever. George, once again, watched the one walk away.

[fountainpenguin]

FOP Scenes That Always Make Me Lose My Mind

No matter how many times I watch them.

Vicky staring as a hospital bed transforms into a robot and remarking, “Wow, that’s one cool bed.”

Mark describing the scars Vicky has given him as “love markings” and listing where and why he got each one.

Wanda hiding under the table while she checks Da Rules to see if it’s illegal for her to murder Timmy’s parents after they tormented her and Cosmo at dinner (and sighing when it is).

Timmy’s parents waiting for C and W to come out from under said table, deciding they’re dead, and scrambling off to “establish an alibi.”

“Well, if your math is as good as Dad’s spelling, I may have turned 21 for all you know!” // “You can make fun of my math skills until it’s 13:00, but you do NOT act like a smarty pants!”

A.J. tackling Chester away from a laser, explaining his parents set it up, and Chester saying “But your parents love me” followed by dead silence.

“Slow down, Hunchback-of-Never-Dated-a-Dame!”

Cosmo comes flitting by with Poof in a basket and Wanda just flies up to him and says, “Cosmo, where have you been? I got arrested!”

Gary and Betty solving the problem of a crying child by putting him in a soundproof dome and walking away.

Wanda waving at Cosmo from the other side of the street while flying and promptly crashing into a pole.

Cosmo showing up at his mom’s house after eloping 10,000 years ago and all she says is, “Did you get the milk, Cosmo?”

Timmy still having heat vision four seasons later because he never unwished it.

You can’t kill cockroaches with magic.

Mama Cosma kidnapped a crime boss and he was kind of into it

“You sunk the city of Atlantis NINE TIMES??? Where was I when this happened?”

Anti-Cosmo and the Head Pixie baking pizza for Timmy because sometimes they don’t have evil plans and just want attention.

The Head Pixie’s hat is also a pen and the only time we see him use it is when he absolutely had to write down a pun before he forgot.

H.P. unhesitatingly gambling away a magical world because some punk 10-year-old human bragged he could beat him in mini-golf.

Sanderson stripping to his underwear on international Fairy TV.

“Fairies aren’t good with naming things. For crying out loud, we named our kid Poof!”

The Grim Reaper runs the Anti-Fairy World pet store because “Death doesn’t pay the bills and I’ve got student loans.”

ED FREAKING LEADLY ANY TIME HE DOES ANYTHING

Cosmo moving the doorknob to the other side of a door and re-opening it because it didn’t show him what he was looking for the first time.

Cosmo saying “There’s your car,” and straight-up dropping Chet Ubetcha into a volcano because Chet said something mean about him.

Cosmo putting his hands on his hips when he’s mad, then noticing Wanda has her arms crossed and copying her pose instead.

Cosmo’s face when Timmy crawls under his bed and wishes for a toaster and you can just tell he’s questioning if he heard that right.

Cosmo showing Juandissimo to the “room” he can use while staying over before promptly hurling him in the freezer and slamming the door.

Foop legitimately looking confused and hurt when Poof didn’t want to hug him during their playdate (and Poof’s furious face when Foop drags him around by the hand).

Wanda trying to get Poof hyped about Cosmo making a nice family dinner and the dinner is just chicken nuggets.

Crocker’s heart breaking when he accidentally catches Poof in his fairy trap and he lets him go because he is only baby.

Vicky insisting the kids she’s babysitting should tell her she’s pretty and Sammy sobbing because “My mommy told me never to lie!”

Sammy: “This may not sound very sweet, but... Break Vicky like a 2x4!”

Literally every Schnozmo moment

Kevin Crocker: “Your idea is so much better. It’s no biggie. I just kind of wish I was never born.”

“His name is Foop! ... Spelled backwards! <333”

Timmy’s Mom having an entire conversation with him while holding his fish. Not his fishbowl literally just Cosmo in goldfish form.

Cosmo tying Timmy’s Mom up like a marionette, smearing on lipstick, screaming “I’M GORGEOUS!” and promptly dragging her across the floor.

“Pumpkin taxi. Orange on the outside, seedy on the inside.”

Cosmo designing a board game that requires you to get the car you play with registered at the DMV.

Chloe helping Timmy nail Crocker’s bed to the ceiling.

The massive size difference between Kevin’s and Chloe’s hands when she helps him off the floor.

Chloe getting cut off before she can swear.

Timmy standing up for Chloe in front of her parents when she starts having an anxiety attack.

Chloe as a parent upsetting her kids to the point they were assigned fairy godparents and she has to reevaluate her happy-go-lucky life.

The whole concept behind “Timmy’s Secret Wish.”

The implication that Chloe spent fifty years of the frozen timestream raising herself on “Fair Bears” cartoons.

Timmy’s Dad, who has never liked Mr. Crocker, calling him progressively worse names like “Mr. Crayons” and “Mr. Crawlspace.”

“What are you going to do without a house?” // “That’s easy. I wish I had another house.”

Foop’s alternate personality inviting Foop to lunch.

Cosmo pointing out that making someone disappear is sort of illegal and Timmy’s Dad just points out he can’t get arrested if he wishes for the police to disappear and Cosmo just :\

Juandissimo melting Iceland and then glancing awkwardly at the witnesses.

“Scientists are mystified as to why this is happening! In unrelated news, a giant purple baby is blocking the sun.”

Mrs. Crocker hitting on Dr. Rip Studwell and he responds by writing her a prescription for “Get real, lady” and Poof was there for all of this.

Foop designing a play with the plan of tormenting Poof but Poof fakes sick and Foop, his understudy, is forced to endure the horrors of the play while Poof eats popcorn and mocks him the whole time.

"You picked the right square blue baby for the job! I’m super irritating.” “You certainly are.” “You’re the worst.” “Everyone hates you.”

Anti-Cosmo sneaking Foop a file so he can escape prison but Foop doesn’t know what it’s for and just uses it to file his nails.

Wanda breaking into a stranger’s house to do his dishes.

Dark Laser betraying Foop and Crocker when it dawns on him that they were the reckless hooligans who nearly ran over Flipsie.

Timmy’s Dad asking him if he wants to “Come for a ride to get a ham.”

Crocker explaining that his mother’s bird was named “Pile of Goo” even before he accidentally flung it into the sun.

Chloe deadpanning “Oops, I have tripped on my cape” before deliberately shoving Mr. Crocker over.

“Everything is so green here. Even the stoplights!” //Massive crash noises //Cheerful scene change

Timmy literally bulldozing Dinkleberg’s living room and Dinkleberg just “Oh hi, Timmy! No need to explain yourself; I don’t want to pry.”

“I’ll tell you what’s a great comedy word: AUGHAWAGAUGH! Watch me use it in context.” //Poofs up a beehive

“Did you know there are over 250 species of owls in the world? My goal is to see ALL OF THEM! Not just the species, but every. single. owl.”

“I still don’t know where you found six kids with eye patches.”

Foop nervously agreeing with the Anti-Fairy Council, “Yes, that’s what I am, a genius. Not the guy who spent six hours toilet papering a house when in fact he has a magic bottle that could have done it instantly.”

[mergatroid-jones-blog]

Twin Mickey

(A short story)

* 1 *

I don't have a name. That's because there's nobody to give me one. There's nobody to call me by it either, due to the nature of my particular birth defect. I'm three eighths of one inch tall. Not only that, I don't have my own body. Not exactly. I live in my brother's head. We're twins I guess. Some kind of conjoined twins--only instead of being conjoined on the outside, I live inside his head. He doesn't know I exist. Nobody does.

For all I know I'm a very common medical phenomenon. Micky's never had a brain scan-- maybe I wouldn't even show up. That's my brother's name: Micky Van Buskirk. It's sort of my name too, since I don't have one. I stole a little piece of my brother's name. I steal a little piece of everything he has. I'm a parasite. That's what I've decided. Or maybe I'm cancer. I certainly don't do anything to help him. All I can do is sit around his head and complain. He can't hear me, no matter how loud I shout. You aren't designed to hear from the inside. I figured that out.

But that doesn't matter. I still scream about everything. What else do I have? It's like I'm chained to the floor in front of the worst TV show, and I can't reach the remote. Forever.  My brother really might be king of the idiots.  Like all the best idiots, he's just clever enough to convince himself that he's being awfully rational in any given situation. He's convinced himself that everything he's ever done was absolutely the only thing he could have done. He probably thinks he's had a really hard time of it. He hasn't.

I  know literally everything about him, but his motives are a mystery to me. Like when he stole Jacob Yockey's jacket in high school. It was sitting there, all lime green and fake-leather, and he just put it in his backpack like he'd been planning it all along. He didn't need the jacket, and he wasn't some kind of kleptomaniac. That was the only time he did something like that. He put it in the back of his closet and there it sat. He didn't wear it, and he didn't have anything against Jacob Yockey either. Jacob Yockey never hurt anybody. One day, Jacob mentioned that his jacket was lost, and my brother was there. Micky laughed, and he said “Soggy pickles.” What the hell is that??

That night,  he actually put the jacket on for the first and only time. He was still wet and naked from the shower.  He posed and made faces at himself for at least three minutes. My brother is barely five feet tall, quite fat, and covered in thick, curly, black hair. He's not physically attractive.   I heard Jacob Yockey lives in Toronto now, and he's gay and breeds expensive dogs. Good for Jacob Yockey I guess. He sure was funny looking in high school.

* 2 *

You would think that self-loathing and egotism would contradict one another, but they make surprisingly genial bedfellows. My brother will be convinced that he is worth less than the scum under a pretty girl's fingernail. Then in the same hour, he'll realize once again that the world is almost entirely  idiots, and that he miraculously isn't one. If they'd just ask the non-idiots, the world would get along better. Again, these sentiments seem like a contradiction, but my brother has never noticed the inconstancy. Most people don't seem to notice inconsistencies like that.

Perhaps they would notice if they spent a day as a pimple. That's how I think of myself: a brain-pimple. Like when you get a pimple on the inside of your nose, but deeper. My brother is always picking his nose, and he's not subtle about it. He used to eat his boogers, and he didn't stop until he was sixteen. He really is a disgusting shit. One time when we were about seven, he took off his pants, crawled under the  bed, and peed into the carpet. For no reason. What reason could he have possibly had? He just did it to test his body? To test the carpet? That carpet is still there by the way, and I doubt anybody has ever shampooed it. I  think I really hate him.

If I had to live in somebody's head, it didn't have to be such a boring nincompoop. Mickey Van Buskirk has never done anything I would care to watch. Weird stuff sure. Gross stuff, definitely. But nothing good. Once he spent a whole day sorta following around this old man who carried a trombone. I guess he thought the guy was a creep, but who's the creep when you're stalking some old guy all day? Weird stuff, he does. Gross stuff he does. I've seen him lick a banister after a pretty girl touched it at least nine different times. Nasty.

* 3 *

What a miserable little shit. Here's what happens every time: he gets a shitty job and he hates it. And he hates it more and more for a whole year. Then he throws a fit, quits, and gets a new shitty job. He's like clockwork. After high school, he told our mom he was going to be a pharmacist. Whatever happened to that? He was never going to be a pharmacist and he probably knew it. I'm sure Mom wasn't fooled. She's not stupid like Mickey.  

My brother has only ever had one girlfriend that lasted, and that's because she's an even bigger idiot than he is. Angela is her name. They've broken up four times. They broke up again last week.  He made out with her sister Kara. She did it to piss Angela off. He just did it because it was on offer. Fucking idiot. The thing was Angela wasn't actually all that mad about it. Kara was getting revenge for previous transgressions. But it brought up all this drama, and everybody hates each other now.

Good riddance.  I hope I never see those two again. Talk about entitled.  Not one of the three of them can form a cogent thought. Angela literally sets fires and puts them out for fun. But Mickey can't  find words to voice this legitimate concern other than “You're a psycho-bitch.” That doesn't tend to help. But who cares? She walked out and maybe it'll stick. Mickey got good and drunk after that. He got high on pills too. Good. I can share in that.  Then he looked at a bunch of “furry” porn. Disgusting. I really hate him.

* 4 *

He had hated his job at the print shop for almost a year, so I wasn't surprised when he threw a tantrum at work. My brother has always been able to throw a tantrum for what seems like no reason. I think he must plan it in advance. The printer was being crap, and Annie was blaming him for it as usual. So he started throwing boxes everywhere and screaming “It's fucking bullshit, and I can't fucking bullshit!” He said the word “bullshit” twenty-seven times in total. I counted. He ripped off his Clayborn Printing shirt, threw it at Annie, and walked out. She didn't say a word. I don't know if she was angry or amused. At least she had to deal with the printer herself. Horrible woman.

Then what did he do? He called Angela crying and babbling incomprehensibly. I was surprised she hung up on him. Good for her. Then his classic pity party. I've seen it a thousand times. He buys a fifth of Wild Turkey and gets some pills. Angela is kind of a pill head and he's kinda one too when he's with her. Then he rolls down the windows (even if it's winter) and blares Linkin Park at full volume all the way to Foy Point in the national forest. It's isolated. It's also incidentally where he lost his virginity to Sarah Spiller who later turned out to be somehow related to us. Good going.

He did what he normally does. He drank as much of the fifth as he physically could. He smoked every cigarette he had. He used his lighter to blow a fireball with the bourbon, then he threw the bottle (still one third full) into a tree. All that was normal. Then he went for the pills, and I noticed he had brought every bottle that Angela had stored at his house. Most of them were almost empty, but it was quite an array. He dumped them all out into a Halloween candy-pile on the picnic table. He was going to kill himself! I screamed at him “YES! Do it! Finally, I'm done with you! I'm fucking done, you piece of living shit-fucking shit!” I really was excited.

* 5 *

He looked at all the pills, and he shuffled them around. There would have been enough to kill ten Mickey Van Buskirks and a thousand brain-pimple brothers. Then he arranged them by color. Then he shuffled them again. Then he took a little yellow one. Then he took a handful. No good. He couldn't swallow them all. He didn't have any water, and the bourbon was all over a tree. He puked. Now there were two Halloween candy-piles.

Foy point overlooks a creek, and it's not all that far down if you go through the brambly parts. Mickey did. He really wanted to die. I was proud of him. He took a Styrofoam cup from  Frosty Time, and filled it in the creek. The brambles cut him up, but he was too drunk to care. He took two handfuls of random pills, and swallowed them with creek water. Then he screamed “I did it!”

He had. I've never wanted anything more than to die. I would have been jumping up and down if I had legs. But then, Mickey Van Buskirk had an attack of cowardice. He was too much of a coward  even to take the coward's way out. He clutched at his uvula for dear life, and life it gave him. He made himself puke. Then again. Then again. More candy-piles. It was horrible to watch. He was covered in it. If he had waited just five minutes, I bet he would have been too far gone. What a failure.

* 6 *

He woke up the next day, sunburned and thirsty. He was covered in little cuts, and vomit, and Wild Turkey. I woke up too. Alive. I really hate him. Before he drove home (well below the speed limit) he produced his pocket knife. It always makes a satisfying click when he takes out the blade. A lot of things were carved into the picnic table. A crude owl. A penis. A fancy heart. One message said “Be happy.” Another said “Smoke a fat blunt biotch 420!”  Another said ambiguously  “Is waterlogged and so am I.”

It was important for Mickey to carve something into that table. It must have been important for him to stare at it so long.  Something big had happened there, and he needed to commemorate it. He needed to write a message of his own: to speak and be heard. After at least three minutes of staring, he carved his statement on the table very large above the owl.  Here's what it says:

“Fuck”

[bikelock28]

Similar Cases

Future-set, Teddy Lupin, Neville Longbottom

Similar Cases

Dear Teddy

If you're not too busy, it would be lovely to see you for a cup of tea and a chat this week. My office is on the second floor, it has a green door and a Wiggentree sapling outside.

Hope to see you soon. All the best

NL

The boy with striped hair and new robes knocks nervously on the door. He knows that he shouldn't be anxious; he isn't in trouble and he knows Neville (Professor Longbottom, Teddy corrects himself. That's important. It's only a little chat. Teddy doesn't know what about but he's sure that he isn't in trouble. Even if he was, Ne- Professor Longbottom is a cool, friendly teacher and he's been kind to Teddy so far. He probably wants to ask about Harry, Teddy tells himself. People always want to ask about Harry.

The door opens. "Hello, Teddy!" says Professor Longbottom brightly, "Come in, take a seat".

Professor Longbottom's office has a desk in, but it's in the corner of the room and instead Neville invites Teddy to sit on one of the three green armchairs in the middle of the carpet. Teddy dumps his bag on the floor, accidentally knocking over a red geranium.

"Oh! Sorry, Professor Longbottom, I'm so sorry," Teddy squeaks nervously.

"No problem," shrugs Neville, muttering the spell to tidy up the mess.

"I'm sorry, I'm always clumsy,"

Neville gives him a shrewd look but changes the subject and asks Teddy if he'd like a drink.

"Umm, tea please,"

"Orange, lemon, herbal, mint?"

"Just...normal please, Professor Longbottom,"

Professor Longbottom taps the kettle with his wand. It instantly starts whistling and Professor Longbottom mutters a spell to pour them each a cup of tea. Warmly, he asks, "Now Teddy, how are you getting on?"

"Um, fine, sir,"

"There's no need to call me 'sir', Teddy," dismisses Neville, plonking himself down in an opposite armchair, "Have you settled in alright? Making friends?"

"Err, yes. Everyone's...all we first-years stick together. We come down to breakfast in a group and we help each other find classrooms, we do our homework together. So that's...yeah, that's good,"

Neville looks interested. "Well good for you. Excellent Hufflepuff spirit there. I could have done with that when I started,"

"Did you get lost?"

"Constantly. I didn't understand my lessons, I forgot my books. And I kept losing my toad. To be honest, I felt pretty hopeless my first year here,"

Teddy has no idea why Professor Longbottom is telling him this.

"Hermione was a friend, though. She was kind, she helped me a lot. Although probably because she was about as unpopular as I was, those first few weeks,"

"What about Harry?"

"Harry and Ron met very early- maybe even on the train platform- and were inseparable from the word go. They formed their little pair and that was that,"

"But they were...weren't they nice to you?"

"They were nice. Of course they were nice, Teddy. But they were best friends and I was just a mate; the pudgy, forgetful boy they shared a dormitory with. Harry had had a horrible childhood with his uncle and being bullied at his Muggle school, and he turned up here and everybody was excited, everybody wanted to be his friend. You know he doesn't like being famous now- he hasn't for a long time- but in first-year it was a novelty for him. He was all too wrapped up in that to worry about me,"

"Oh," says Teddy glumly, "I...I thought he was..."

"He'd been taken away from an unhappy life into a life of magic where he was suddenly famous- I don't blame him in the slightest. What's more, he was eleven years old. Nobody expects you to be perfect at eleven years old. Remember that, Teddy,"

"'Kay," Teddy nods. He hasn't thought about that before. Remembering where classes are, writing down his notes properly and dodging Peeves takes enough effort without trying to be perfect as well.

"Teddy, do you think that you get recognised like Harry did?" Professor Longbottom asks. Teddy meets his eye. Neville's gaze is astute and interested.

"Because of my parents?" Teddy clarifies.

"Well, yes,"

"Some people," Teddy concedes, "People point at me, some teachers kind of pause when they read out my surname. But not everyone's trying to be my best friend like you said they were with Harry. And at least there's other kids at school who lost a parent or an uncle or a sister or something during the Second War. I think I'm the only one in my year but I'm not the only only one,"

"Do you mind my asking if the attention bothers you?"

"A bit. I dunno," Teddy shrugs, "It's just cos people are curious, that's what Harry said,"

"If it ever bothers you, come and tell me,"

"Yes, sir,"

"I love and admire Harry and I'm glad you can share these things with him, but I didn't invite you here today to talk about him, actually. Or your parents. I wanted to talk about you. How you're finding school. Your subjects, your friends,"

"Well, I...I like Herbology, obviously," Teddy says, which is as much truthful as it is diplomatic, "And Charms, I'm enjoying Charms,"

"Wonderful! I took Charms for NEWT," says Professor Longbottom earnestly, "What about Astronomy?"

"I like being awake at night, but umm, it's kind of boring. Just stars. And, umm..." Teddy shuffles uncomfortably in his seat.

"Yes?" prompts Neville.

"Well, I...Neville, you know what my dad was, don't you?"

"Yes," nods Neville, his face unchanging.

"And I'm not. It didn't pass on to me. I didn't,"

"I know," says Neville gently.

"But I'm worried that, that if someone found out, then...I don't think looking at the night sky would be much fun if everybody was glancing at me thinking..." Teddy tails off nervously, staring at his knees.

"Ah. Ah," says Neville thoughtfully. "Teddy, would you like a biscuit?"

"Um, yes please, sir,"

"You don't have to call me sir,"

Neville waves his wand and a plate of chocolate biscuits flies over to them. Teddy takes one and bites into it, keeping his eyes lowered. Professor Longbottom takes two, eats them both, sits back in his chair, folds his arms and says, "I think that's a perfectly legitimate concern." Teddy glances up, and Professor Longbottom continues, "I can see how anxious that must make you. But try to be positive. I'm sure many people would believe and accept that you're not affected by the condition and that would be that. And Teddy," he says gently, "If I'm honest with you, I'm sure there's pupils in this school who know already about your father,"

"Yeah. It...it hasn't come up yet here but yeah, some older kids must do. I...adults know. Um, sometimes people say stuff. Nasty stuff. Not often, and not here yet, just once or twice in Diagon Alley, if someone hears my surname. Harry goes ballistic,"

"I should hope so too. That's disgusting talk. I'm...I'm sorry someone your age should have to go through that, Teddy,"

"It used to be worse. You and Harry and my parents and everyone, they fought it when it was worse. Hermione's good at explaining it, how prejudice lingers and stuff". Her words in his mouth sound ridiculous. He remembers something, "Ron and Hermione are always arguing- well, Hermione and all the Weasleys, I suppose- about the M-U-D-B-L-O-O-D word. Hermione says that if you, like, let it affect you then you're letting them win. You have to ignore it and not let it define you. Ron and Ginny disagree but I try to, like, keep that in my head,"

"Good for you. In the case of that vile word regarding blood types, myself and the Weasleys show that it's generally more so-called pureblood families who are offended by it than Muggle-borns. But if you're following something Hermione does then it's difficult to go wrong,"

"You said Hermione was unpopular. You said Harry and Ron were inseparable- so how did she become their friend?"

"Are you telling me you don't know the story about the troll?"

"Oh, right. Course. There's so many stories, I get them mixed up. So that's how they became friends?"

Neville nods. "Yup. It had been Harry and Ron, and from that Halloween it was Harry and Ron and Hermione and that was that. But anyway, who are your friends, Teddy?

"My house I suppose. You know us from Herbology,"

"Yes, but tell me about them. What are they like outside of class?"

"Well, err, in the dormitory my bed is by the wall and Jack's is next to mine so we talk a lot. He's dead funny, he's comes up with these mad ideas and plans. Cowan thinks he knows everything cos he's got two sisters here already. Or one might have left actually, I can't remember, I stopped listening. Hieronymus is shy but he knows lots about giants so if you get him talking about that he's more chatty. And the girls- well, Caitlin and Simran giggle a lot and they're both in love with Professor Kirkpatrick-"

"Well, I'll be sure to let Professor Kirkpatrick know that," says Neville.

Teddy laughs. He feels more comfortable now, talking about his classmates. He tells Professor Longbottom about Lourdes' Scopps owl, Macaroni, and how it can climb stairs, how Chantelle's got a Hurricane 47 broom, how Ivy's worked out how to master the staircases, and how Dariella makes him laugh with the stupid songs she makes up. Teddy tells Professor Longbottom about the Slytherin class he has Transfiguration and History of Magic with; Eoin whose met loads of the Ballycastle Bats because his dad's a promoter for them, and Rebecca whose very neat so rolls her eyes when Teddy spills his ink or drops his books.

"I spilt my ink all the time," says Professor Longbottom, "Still do". He points to his desk where Teddy can see a few black stains. "I could barely pick up a scroll without something breaking or getting knocked over,"

"Everybody is so surprised that I haven't broken a bone," Teddy announces proudly, "People see how clumsy I am and they're like 'That kid must always be hurting himself,' but I'm not really…I break stuff, not people,"

Neville laughs loudly. "Oh, I wish I could tell you you'll grow out of it, Teddy, but I'm nearly thirty and I still drop about four plant pots a week,"

"My mum was clumsy," Teddy tells him, smiling, "Granny never minds when I spill stuff or break stuff at home because she says it's like having my mum back. So I kind of like being clumsy because it's like Mum. Well, I don't like it, but I sort of do". Teddy's never quite verbalised this explanation out loud before and it doesn't seem to make sense now it's out in the air. "I dunno…" he finishes lamely.

Professor Longbottom nods thoughtfully. "I understand," he murmurs. Then he coughs slightly and says, "Teddy, do you know who my parents are?"

"Err, no," Teddy answers.

"I'd like to tell you but it's...well, it's very ugly and very sad, so you can tell me to stop if you want. Understand?"

"Yes,"

"My mother was an Auror, like yours," Neville explains, "So was my Dad. They were two of the best. They were in the Order during the First War and they did great work, they were so brave. And then Voldemort disappeared after he tried to kill Harry. And everyone thought they were safe. But the Death Eaters were still around and- and my parents were caught. And they were tortured to insanity,"

Teddy

"Who did it?" Teddy whispers.

"Bellatrix Lestrange," says Neville grimly.

"She killed my Mum!" Teddy exclaims, excited.

"Yes. That's her,"

"She was my great-aunt,"

"I know. Is that difficult for you?"

"No. She was evil. She killed my mum. I'm glad she's dead,"

"Yes. We all are," says Neville awkwardly, "God bless Molly Weasley,"

"I'm...I'm really sorry about your parents, Professor Longbottom,"

"I'm really sorry about you parents, Teddy Lupin,"

"Yeah, I know. But it's….it's okay, you know? Granny has photos of them everywhere and there's lots of people who knew them. Harry's lot tell me about them, and I've got cousins on my dad's side who I see. Last year Ginny wrote to Professor McGonogall, Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout and a couple of the others to ask them to write to me about what Mum and Dad were like in school. That was cool,"

Neville smiles. "It must make you happy to know so much about them,"

"Yeah," Teddy agrees emphatically. "Professor Longbottom, are you Mum and Dad still alive?"

Neville nods. "They've been in St Mungo's for as long as I can remember. They don't know who I am. But they're happy, I think. They're safe and they're together,"

"Who did you live with, then, when you were growing up?"

"My grandmother,"

"Like me!" Teddy exclaims again.

"That's why I invited you," says Neville, "There's a few strange things we have in common, you and I thought that it might be interesting, might be good, for us to talk to one another,"

"Yes!" says Teddy happily, "Everybody talks a lot about how I'm like Harry- you know, orphans- but, but I'm also like you!"

"I'm glad you agree," says Neville, smiling broadly. "Were you happy, growing up with your grandmother?"

"Yeah. She's old enough to run around and stuff. And I see Harry all the time, and Ginny and Ron and Hermione and Mrs Weasley. It was only a couple of years ago they told me that she killed Bellatrix. That's cool. It explains why she cries a lot around me,"

"Can I ask you how your grandmother feels abou-"

"About Bellatrix? She says they never said a kind word to each other in their lives. Granny hardly saw her after she married my Grandpa. Granny says she was evil and she's glad she's dead. Granny didn't love her,"

"The only love Bellatrix Lestrange seemed to know was her love for Voldemort," Neville says solemnly.

"Were you happy growing up with your granny, Professor Longbottom?"

"Hmm," says Neville thoughtfully, "Sometimes. Anyway, I have some marking to get on with today, but would you like to visit me every so often? Not to talk about the wars and our families necessarily. Just as, well, friends,"

Being friends with a professor is a weird idea, but, "Yes. That'd be cool, sir,"

"On one condition- you stop calling me sir?"

"Even in Herbology?"

"Well, yes in Herbology, I can't look like I have favourites. But when you're in this office you call me Neville,"

"Okay Neville,"

"I'll let you go now but I'll be in touch soon, alright?"

"Yes. I...I'm looking forward to it,"

"So am I,"

"Can I ask you something, Neville?"

"Yup?"

"When you were at Hogwarts, did people know about your parents?"

"Ah. No,"

"Nobody?"

"Well, I expect a few older students did. But I never mentioned it,"

"Not to your friends?"

"No. And I wish I had done. I wish I'd shown how proud I was of them. Because I am proud of them, and I know that they'd be really proud of me". The other implication remains unspoken. The professor and the boy smile at each other.

"I'll see you later, Teddy. Oh, before you go- would you like some chocolate?"

[sepublic]

So there’s an Owl House game on DisneyNOW

Spoiler alert, it... kinda sucks. Which, is to be expected of an obscure mobile game that’s only exclusive to a very particular app. Still, It’s Owl House content, so I’ll take what I can get.

The game is a VERY simple 2-D platformer. You play as Luz (yes!) and you start off in a ‘hub’ that is the Owl House itself.

The upper floor is where you catalogue previously-done missions so you can do them again. In a treasure chest there are really short side-quests that are updated every week. Each week, a new quest is presented with an item to get at the end that appears in the respective episode. A new episode, new quest, new item. It was actually the tenth quest for the Playground Armor that made me wonder if Episode 10 was available on DisneyNOW, and lo and behold, it was! So that’s neat. Each item has a little description added to it, and I played the game so nobody else has to. For example;

Obviously the canonicity of this game and its descriptions should be taken with a grain of salt, but if it IS true, then I find it cute how Amity is so obsessed with that star when nobody else cares. To her, that’s literal physical validation from a teacher she looks up to! Obviously there’s something concerning about putting THAT much stock into what grown-ups have to say, but still. Also it just occurred to me that since Willow left the Abomination Track, that means that Amity is now the best student in that class once more, meaning she eventually got back her badge. So, good for her.

Believe it or not, the app itself has ACTUAL voice acting from the official VAs and everything! And I’m fairly certain the lines are unique, they’re too smooth to have been put together from various words plucked out of context from the show itself. So far we’ve only got Luz, King, Eda, and a generic Emperor’s guard as characters.

Initially, you start off controlling Luz, who can only move around, jump, duck, etc. You go through a level and hop over enemies (which look like this in Bonesborough, or like this in the forest);

There’s also an arm that swipes at you from a barrel and a fanged treasure chest, but they’re super-easy to avoid. Spoiler alert; These levels are EXTREMELY easy. Also, all of the levels are just the same exact rooms and layouts, but slightly remixed so that if you go to the end of one room, you’ll go to a different room after it than last time, or start off in a different room than in the previous level... You get the idea. It’s the exact same level layout, down to the placement of enemies and smaller items you have to collect multiple of in order to advance. Because every level is the same, it definitely gets a bit tedious.

Also, the music- There’s only ONE song, and it’s a tiny snippet cut out from the show’s OST and put on loop indefinitely. Within the context of the original song it was taken from, this piece is fine. But when it’s been completely cut off from the original song and looped on repeat it quickly becomes maddening and you only realize how much it bothers you until AFTER it bothers you.

Like I said, the quests are simple. You start off going through a couple of rooms before you grab Eda’s arm... Then her leg in the next level... And then her entire body, humorously enough. For the body segment it’s a flying level where you avoid slow, flying enemies as you ride on Owlbert and tap the screen to go up a little, otherwise you’re just slowly sinking into oblivion. It’s a welcome change of pace with different music for once, but then it ends all too quickly.

Other levels involve you collecting 8 key items scattered throughout the level to accomplish a goal (getting Eda’s merch to sell it, collecting stuff for a guard, etc.) The way the level is structured, the rooms just keep going on until you collect 8 items, so... You can’t really ‘miss’ an item and there’s no correct way or order to do it. Again, it’s really mundane. Also, you can only get hurt by running into enemies (jumping on them to stun them is fine) or by falling into pits, the latter of which puts you at the beginning of the room. You lose one of four light-ball lives, but said lives are scattered all over the game for you to replenish so no-biggie. In the forest there are spotted mushrooms you can bounce off of, and early into the game you can grow a rising platform-plant in select spots. Likewise you get a pair of shoes with tiny bat-wings (but not in the actual gameplay itself, only on the picture when you receive them) that lets you double-jump;

(These are a reference to the winged-shoes that Boscha and her group wear in Episode 8, although Luz’s shoes never get these bat-wing additions in the episode itself. I doubt they will in the show since this is pretty much a gameplay mechanic, but you never know!)

You also get a snaggleback shell to deal with enemies, but you never get the chance to use it? More on that later.

After completing the fetch-8 quests twice in a row, you then get a brief mini-game where you have to drag and toss human merch from your table to a wave of customers who have the corresponding speech bubble asking for it. You satisfy one customer, they go away and more appear. This goes for a bit until the mini-game ends, and then you go home.

But! You left King behind and when you go back to Bonesborough, an Emperor’s guard has taken King hostage! King is dozing off the entire time, I should mention. You do a fetch-8 ingredients quest twice for the guard, and then grab a pot he needs to cook his soup... And after THAT, he reveals that he’s planning to cook King!

And then... nothing.

At this point, you have two options; Go to the left and hit the edge of the screen, OR go right, initiating the guard’s line about cooking King... And then the conversation ends and you turn away to indicate this. That’s it. You don’t get one of the dialogue options from Luz. This doesn’t kickstart a level. As far as I’m concerned, you can’t go back to the hub? You’re just trapped in this brief between-levels moment. You can’t use the snaggleback shell, in part because the game never tells you how to use it... You’re just stuck there for all eternity as the guard gloats about cooking King but then never does that while you stand there.

Is the game glitched? Is it just... NOT finished? I wouldn’t be surprised. It’s not exactly very compelling. The main thing that keeps it from being a legitimate slog is the fact that it’s A) Owl House content and B) Each Level is so small, quick, and an easy breeze that you can clear it pretty quickly. Unfortunately for me, playing the game causes my phone to heat up REALLY quickly, so I have to take breaks so my device doesn’t overheat and damage itself. Maybe if I play on a non-mobile device I’ll be able to actually continue.

There’s not really much else to say about it. The game is the most bare-bones 2-D platformer with the bare-minimum of repeating level design and pretty mind-numbing, generic quests. You earn EXP or whatever for your witch rank at the end of each quest, but you don’t really level up? Honestly I’m only here for the surprisingly-smooth animations of Luz running and jumping around, the voice-acting, and getting to see backgrounds from the show. Also the relic side-quests are neat too, I guess, and those are even shorter than the ‘main quest’ levels. 

Honestly I’d give the game a 1/10. It’s only a 1 and not a zero because it’s still Owl House content and not TOO much of a chore because thankfully you get through it quickly.